Aussie Ark baby boom

SEVEN new Tasmanian devil joeys have been born in the Aussie Ark wild sanctuary, with a further thirteen joeys estimated to be born this year.

The new joeys are a result of the reintroduction of 26 Tasmanian devils into the wild last year, including seven reproductive females.

Aussie Ark president Tim Faulkner said the organisation has been working tirelessly for the better part of ten years to return devils to the wild of mainland Australia with the hope that they would establish a sustainable population.

“Once they were back in the wild, it was up to them, which was nerve wracking. We had been watching them from afar until it was time to step in and confirm the birth of our first wild joeys. And what a moment it was,” Mr Faulkner said.

Initial pouch checks show the joeys are in perfect health and developing as they should be. Aussie Ark rangers will continue to monitor the mother devils through camera traps and will conduct follow up pouch checks in the coming weeks to ensure the health and wellbeing of both mom and joeys. 

President of Re:Wild Don Church said the adult devils have adapted to the wild remarkably quickly and the joeys are one of the most tangible signs that the reintroduction is working.

“This doesn’t just bode well for this endangered species, but also for the many other endangered species that can be saved if we rewild Australia, the country with the worlds worst mammal extinction rate. Tasmanian devils are ecosystem engineers that can restore and rebalance the wild to the benefit of other native wildlife, to the climate and to people, ” Mr Church said. 

Aussie Ark’s Tasmanian devil breeding program was founded in 2011 with 44 individuals and is now home to more than 200, making up approximately 50 percent of the entire captive insurance population throughout mainland Australia.

Two additional releases of 20 devils each will occur within the next two years.